[Adult Swim] The Future of AS and all it's animation.

[Miss-dark8607]

With the last season of Inuyasha under their belt and the current ratings for anime shows that appear on Adult Swim. I wonder will they continue to air "teeny" anime or will they become a knock-off comedy central type network. Still showing crude animation but older teen- adult aimed animation.

IE South Park type shows. Notice the newer animation in the past year or so 12 Oz Mouse, Squidbillies, Metalocalypse which seems like a total 180 given in the beginning they showed such series like Tenchi Muyo, Outlaw Star, Inuyasha, Home movies, Space Ghost.

It seems like the simple-plot Bishe filled anime like Inuyasha and (although it really wasn't) FMA will soon be a thing of the past. I have three theories. (Keep in mind I am know they are have newer series like Bleach still running and have a couple more still in the working)

1. AS will someday stop airing most Japan-based Animation that are simple plot based. That mainly target younger teens and start airing anime that targets older target with plots that aren't too simple to follow for younger teens to follow. Thus no more OMG Blank Bishe is so hot I want to smex him up all over messages boards or at least not as much. I'm thinking series like Ghost in the Shell, FLCL, Paranoia Agent, Big O which are harder for most younger fans to follow.

2. AS will someday stop airing all Japan-Base animation and just air things like Smoking Gun, Robot chicken, ATHF, and the like. (IE An animated version of Comedy Central programming)

3. AS will focus more on their older teen-adult viewers thus blending a mixture of theories 1 and 2. Programing block would have shows like Robot chicken, Family Guy, Moral Orel mixed with Hellsing and Ghost in the Shell

Since I clearly do not work for Adult Swim I can't really be sure. I am hoping for theory number three myself given that it would feel like the network is growing with me and not against me in a way. Seeing that I as well as many other have been watching this programming block since 2001. Also let me make it clear I am not bashing Inuyasha or any other popular anime that airs on adult Swim. My reasoning for all this is that I look around and today there's more than one channel that plays anime. I believe their now a Funanimation channel and coming soon a network even called "Anime Network". If you have the dish you get a preview of the Funanimation channel if you have The "Colors" Channel.

Thus it seems that even if Adult Swim did stop airing Japanese-Animation it wouldn't make much of a difference given that there's now other channels that will air them 24-7.

Dicuss:

~Which of my Theories do you agree/disagree with?

~Your own theories on Adult Swim programming

~Would it matter to you if Adult Swim stopped airing Japanese Anime

Some articles to check out

Programs that AS have or have had

On the Tube: Adult Swim spring/summer 2005 programming highlights

fact bites (learn the background of AS  

[LadyNox]

Regardless of there being an anime channel, I don't see Cartoon Network deciding to stop airing anime on AS. There's way too much anime out there for them to feel as if Funimation's taken all the good stuff or whatever. They can air the stuff that other companies have licensed or even license their own stuff if they decided to go in that direction. And I don’t see why Funimation won’t continue to allow other channels to air the animes they’ve licensed. It makes them more money. Also anime is way too popular right now for Cartoon Network not to try and make money off it.

AS will focus more on their older teen-adult viewers

But that's the point of Adult Swim. It's not suppose to show stuff for younger viewers. It's target audience is older people. I remember one of the commercials when AS first started would say "all kids out of the pool". If they go back to showing a lot of the M-rated or uncensored anime, it would make a lot more sense. It be more like adult swim then showing Inuyasha and other animes that are targeted towards teens.

Also I've realized that animation in America has two purposes. One is satire (Family Guy) and the other is children's entertainment (Spongebob). Anything that falls in between will still leaning heavily towards one or the other (Avatar: The Last Airbender is still considered a children‘s cartoon). It’s like Westerners can't imagine a serious drama in animation.  

[Konoshy4564]

In my opinion, if AS were to stop airing anime they would most likely lose a lot of viewers. I for one would not watch AS anymore.  

[for the bagels]

we need mre yaoi on tv  

[Diglett Girl]

Frankly, I don't even watch much of [as] any more. They've stopped airing the series that made me actually want to watch it all together. Series like Cowboy Bebop, Case Closed, and Wolf's Rain, because they actually were very good series.It seems that Case Closed didn't stand a chance, because it was actually pretty intellectual, being a detective anime and all. But, now they air the simplest plots like InuYasha, even if, in my opinion, it's dreadfully monotonous and all it does is repeat itself.

I choose not to watch anime on TV any more, because [as] does such a poor job in satiating my anime appetite. The only reason I watch [as] any more is to watch re-runs of Family Guy and Robot Chicken, and to laugh at the terrible dub they did with Bleach. I miss what they started off as, with pleanty of each show. Not turning into a Comedy Central spawn.

I also believe that if they were to stop airing anime in general, they would lose a great deal of their viewers, and probably end up being devoured again by Cartoon Network. There's also the fact that they choose to air shows the like Assy McGee, Futurama, and Family Guy because they know that there are loyal fans of those shows that will make sure they manage to survive one way or another. Regardless, my opinions matter not, because I watch [as] programming once or twice a week, at most. I'll stick to buying anime, reading manga, and YouTube.

 

[eduardo galpaleano]

>> Only the blackest of hearts

Well, to be honest, while I still watch Bleach, Trinity Blood, and Ghost of the Shell - I have stopped watching InuYasha and Fullmetal Alchemist, and have been watching their other shows. I'm completly in love with Metalocalypse and I quite like Oblongs, Family Guy, Futurama, Robot Chicken, etc.

But that's just me ~ I know most of my friends have stopped watching it since InuYasha and FMA ended, since they don't like Trinity Blood (some watch Bleach - some don't) and almost none watch any of their comedy-adult shows. So I believe they'd lose an audience in teenagers (to some degree), but depending on what shows take their place, they might gain an equal audience.

Can feel the purest of love <<

 

[for the bagels]

yaaa  

[smileontheedge]

I agree with another poster who said they would probably lose a big percent of their viewers. I would be one of them.  

[Labtech Abi]

Well if they took away anime of COURSE they will lose loads of their viewers because I don't think I"m the only person who gets only 3 hours of sleep every Saturday night (or used to) because of the animoo. I never watched Inuyasha though BUT other animes they've had in the past were really good. I haven't really warmed up to any of the animes they show currently but I used to be a junkie and toootally sneak.

And uhmmm... Tenchi Muyo, I thought it was on Toonami. 'Cuz I remember watching it when I was like 7... No kidding...

But nonetheless not ALL viewers toon in JUST for animoo. I also like Family Guy and The Oblongs and ATHF. heart  

[Judaryuu]

Personally, I don't see them leaning too far away from long, plot-of-the week shows like Bleach and Inuyasha- because of their relative simplicity (compared to other anime) these series are accessable to a casual watcher. If anything, I think [AS] would want to grab more titles similar to these. Why?
Because TV is a business, and [AS] wants to show what sells. They want to be able to facilitate the next big hit that will have its merchandise plastered in Hot Topics across the nation because it helps their business. Series that are accessable to a casual viewer are more popular because they can appear to a wider audience.
It is for the same principle that the very idea of [AS] terminating their late night anime line-up is absurd. Their ratings would definately suffer from a move like that.  

[KING KITTAN YEAHHH]

Adult Swim angers me. Though maybe that's only because I got banned from their boards 63 times gonk

I think they need to show something like more adult. It is adult swim afterall. Most of the animes on there should be like on toonami I swear.  

[protecterofelements]

Konoshy4564

In my opinion, if AS were to stop airing anime they would most likely lose a lot of viewers. I for one would not watch AS anymore.

thats so true i know a lot of people that just watch AS for the anime  

[JeiMuze]

Hmm... well, in my opinion, I don't think that it matters if anime stops airing because THEY'RE ALL DUBBED VERSIONS and most otaku that I know (including myself) would rather watch higher quality, subbed (or raw in some cases) versions whenever we want online.